Charles Mastroni received a Bachelor of Science in biology from Penn State University 32 years ago. For the past 15 years, he's been working at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) in Danbury in various capacities -- starting in production, then moving to R&D, then to strategic sourcing/purchasing. In his present role as sourcing manager, he is responsible for the sourcing of laboratory supplies and chemicals for BI globally. "I negotiate global and regional contracts in coordination with corporate division purchasing," he says. "I also finalize contracts and oversee their implementation internally and inter-company."

In thinking about his future, Mastroni decided that a Master of Business Administration degree would be a good step toward advancing his career. The Kent, Conn., resident pursued his M.B.A. at WestConn because of the university's "reputation of quality.”